Astilbe plant named ‘New Wave’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Astilbe  named ‘New Wave’ that is characterized by its uniformly colored light pink flowers that are consistent in color throughout the inflorescence and between inflorescences, its upright flower spikes, and its effective and fast propagation by division.

Botanical classification: Astilbe hybrid.

Varietal denomination: ‘New Wave’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbeof hybrid origin and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name,‘New Wave’. ‘New Wave’ represents a new Astilbe, an herbaceous perennialgrown for landscape use.

The new cultivar of Astilbe arose from a breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Heemskerk, The Netherlands with the goal of developingan Astile cultivar with uniformly colored light pink flowers. ‘New Wave’originated as a seedling that arose from seed planted from openpollination of ‘Europa’ (not patented) in 2004. ‘New Wave’ was selectedas a single unique plant in July of 2006 from amongst the resultingseedlings.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished bydivision by the Inventor in Heemskerk, The Netherlands in January of2007. Asexual propagation by division has determined that thecharacteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar as observed in Heemskerk, TheNetherlands. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘New Wave’as a unique cultivar of Astilbe.

-   -   1. ‘New Wave’ exhibits uniformly colored light pink flowers that        are consistent in color throughout the inflorescence and between        inflorescences.    -   2. ‘New Wave’ exhibits effective and fast propagation.    -   3. ‘New Wave’ exhibits upright flower spikes.

The female parent of ‘New Wave’, ‘Europa’, differs from ‘New Wave’ inhaving inflorescences that are less dense with flowers that vary fromwhite to clear pink in color, and in having less effective propagation(less plants can be produced through division per plant). ‘New Wave’ canbe most closely compared to the cultivars: ‘Peach Blossom’ (notpatented) and ‘Elizabeth Bloom’ (not patented). ‘Peach Blossom’ differsfrom ‘New Wave’ in producing less inflorescences with flowers that arenot as uniform in color. ‘Elizabeth Bloom’ differs from ‘New Wave’ inhaving inflorescences that vary in color from very light pink to mediumpink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The plants in the photographs depict a 14 month-old plant of ‘New Wave’as grown in a greenhouse in a 3-liter container in Heemskerk, TheNetherlands.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of the new ‘New Wave’ inbloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of‘New Wave’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up the foliage of ‘New Wave’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the digitalphotography and printing techniques utilized and the color codes in thedetailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the newAstilbe.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of 14-month-old plants as grownin a greenhouse in 3-liter containers in Heemskerk, The Netherlands.Plants were grown under average day temperatures ranging from 15° to 20°C. and average night temperatures ranging from 12° to 16° C. Thephenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental,climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under allpossible environmental conditions. The color determination is inaccordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal HorticulturalSociety, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Late June into July in The Netherlands.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Clump-forming, broadly upright with upright            blooming stems.        -   Height and spread.—50 to 60 cm in height and spread when            mature in the landscape.        -   Hardiness.—At least to U.S.D.A. Zone 5.        -   Diseases and pests.—Has been observed to have healthy            foliage, no particular disease or pest resisitance or            susceptibility has been observed.        -   Propagation.—Division (during winter dormancy).        -   Growth rate.—Moderate to moderately high, quick and            effective to propagate.-   Stem description (flowering stems):    -   -   Stem color.—143A and 144A.        -   Stem shape.—Round.        -   Stem size.—Average of 29.4 cm in length and 3 mm in            diameter.        -   Stem quantity.—Average of 11 main stems.        -   Stem surface.—Moderately glossy.        -   Stem aspect.—Very strong, mostly held upright.        -   Branching habit.—No lateral branches, stems grow from the            base.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf division.—Compound.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf shape.—Biternate, broad ovate in outline.        -   Leaf number.—Average of 3 per lateral branch.        -   Internode length.—Average of 11.5 cm.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 17.1 cm in length (excluding petiole)            and 18.2 cm in width.        -   Leaf color.—Young foliage upper surface; between 137B and            143A, young foliage lower surface; 137B to 137C, mature            foliage upper surface; N137A, mature foliage lower surface;            138A.        -   Leaflet quantity.—Average of 27 per leaf.        -   Leaflet shape.—Elliptic.        -   Leaflet base.—Acuminate.        -   Leaflet apex.—Apiculate.        -   Leaflet venation.—Pinnate, color of upper surface; 146B,            color of lower surface; 138B.        -   Leaflet margins.—Biserrate.        -   Leaflet size.—Average of 5.3 cm in length and 2.5 cm in            width.        -   Leaflet and leaflet surface.—Both surfaces moderately            glossy, slightly rough to the touch due to being sparsely            covered with short strigose hairs, average length 0.5 mm,            157D in color.        -   Petioles.—Leaf; average of 10.2 cm in length, 2 mm in            diameter and 143B to 143C in color, glabrous surface,            petiolules of leaflet; average of 9 mm in length and 1 mm in            diameter, 143B to 143C in color, glabrous surface.        -   Stipules.—Both sides of the leaf base have a dry leafy            stipule, ovate in shape, average of 5 mm in length, 2.5 mm            in width and N199C to N199D in color.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Numerous single rotate shaped flowers            arranged on pyramidal panicles.        -   Inflorescence aspect.—Upright and held above foliage.        -   Inflorescence size.—Average of 19.3 cm in height and 14.5 cm            in width.        -   Flower fragrance.—Strong, sweet and pleasant fragrance.        -   Flower quantity.—Average of 800 per inflorescence.        -   Flower lastingness.—Average of 10 days.        -   Flower buds.—Broadly elliptic in shape, average of 2 mm in            length and 1.25 mm in diameter, color; 65A, base 145C to            145D.        -   Flower aspect.—Upright, outward, and drooping.        -   Flower shape.—Rotate.        -   Flower size.—About 4 mm in depth and 6 mm in diameter.        -   Petals.—Average of 5, oblanceolate in shape, margin is            entire, apex is broadly acute, average of 4 mm in length and            1 mm in width, color: upper and lower surface when opening;            between 65B and 68D, upper and lower surface when fully            open; 69C to 69D, both surfaces fading to 69D and finally            N155B as they age.        -   Calyx.—Campanulate, average of 1.5 mm in length and 2.5 mm            in diameter.        -   Sepals.—5, ovate in shape, margin is entire, apex is acute,            base is cuneate and fused, surface is smooth and dull, color            of upper and lower surface when immature; 145C to 145D,            color of upper and lower surface when mature; 150D, about            0.75 mm in width and 1.5 mm in length.        -   Peduncles.—Average of 18.9 cm in length and 1.5 mm in            diameter, held at 0° (straight upright), peduncles of            secondary racemes; held at an average angle of 40°, strong,            color is 145B, glabrous surface.        -   Pedicels.—About 1.5 mm in length and 0.5 mm in width, held            at an average angle of 45°, 150D in color, glabrous surface.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—2 Pistils, about 1 mm in length, stigma is            club-shaped and 155A in color, style is about 0.8 mm in            length and 155A in color, ovary is 155A in color.        -   Androcoecium.—About 10 stamens, anthers are ovate in shape,            basifixed, about 0.2 mm in length and 85A to 85B in color,            filaments are about 2 mm in length and 65D in color, pollen            is very low in quantity and N155A in color.        -   Seed and fruit.—No seeds or fruit have been detected to            date.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant named‘New Wave’ as herein illustrated and described.